SUPREME COURT

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21084, 8 February 1934, Page 4

SUPREME COURT

CRIMINAL SESSION (Before his Honour Mr Justice Johnston.) VERDICTS OF NOT GUILTY. . Arthur Gladstone Polkinghorne (Mr D. W. Russell) was charged with indecently assaulting a male. The jury retired at 12.45 and returned at 2.55 with a verdict of not guilty. The prisoner was discharged. Walter Baken was charged with indecently assaulting a girl under the age of 16 years. The court was cleared for the hearing. Mr R. A. Young appeared for the After two witnesses had been called Mr A. T. Donnelly, Crown Prosecutor, said that in view of the small boy not giving the evidence he had given in the lower court, he could not produce the necessary corroborative evidence.

His Honour said that in the circumstances he would have to instruct the jury formally to find a verdict of not guilty. . , The prisoner was discharged. A SERIOUS OFFENCE.

The court was cleared for the hearing of a charge against William Eldred (Mr J. K. Moloney) of indecently assaulting a male. After a brief retirement the jury returned with a verdict of guilty. The prisoner was remanded for sentence to the end of the session. TWO CHARGES. After several witnesses had been heard in two charges against George Frank Toon of indecently assaulting girls under the age of 16, the court adjourned to 10.15 this morning. SITTING AT DUNEDIN SEVERAL. CASES HEAR L) (PRESS AiSOCIATI"* TBLKG7IA U.) DUNEDIN, February 7. In the Supreme Court to-day, before his Honour Mr Justice Kennedy, Leonard Francis Heller, charged with using obscene language in a public place, was fined £5, in default 14 days' imprisonment. George Alex. Low pleaded not guilty to the theft of a fur necklet valued at £l9 10s in July, 1932. After the evidence his Honour said that it would be unsafe to convict accused, and the jury returned a verdict of not guilty. Horatio Acosta Martin was found guilty on three charges of carnal knowledge in respect to two girls at, Naseby. He was remanded until Friday for sentence. j I ROBBERY RECALLED SENTENCE OF FIVE YEARS' IMPRISONMENT (press association txleoram.) PALMERSTON N., February 7. On the night of June 1 Charles - Joseph Williams was held up by a man in a car shed and robbed of £l4 in notes. There was a sequel in the Supreme Court to-day, when Leslie Clifford Arthur Payne, aged 32, was charged with committing the offence, and was found guilty. He was sentenced to five years imprisonment with hard labour. His Honour Mr Justice Blair remarked that New Zealand would be a much safer place with Payne in gaol. MAGISTRATE'S COURT WEDNESDAY. (Before Mr H. P. Lawry, S.M.) DRUNKENNESS. Anthony Shannon, who was found drunk in Riccarton road on Tuesday, was sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment. Shannon had had five similar convictions for similar offences in 1931, four in 1932, and five in 1933, and had just served three months' imprisonment. He had been twice convicted in the statutory period of six months. SWAN EGGS TAKEN. Ben Stevens" and Peter Taylor, charged with being in possession of swan eggs at Birdling's Flat, were each fined £2 and costs. REFUSE IN STREAM. Robert Wilkinson, who was charged with throwing garden refuse into a watercourse, was fined 10s and costs. FISHING WITHOUT LICENSE. H. C. Ferguson was fined £2 and costs for fishing for trout in Lake Lyndon without a license. ON LICENSED PREMISES. Alexander Turner and Henry Oakley, who admitted being in the Zetland ■ Hotel after hours on January 26, were each fined 20s and costs. TRAFFIC CASES. Traffic cases were dealt with as follows: Speeding—Frederick Challis and William Sharpe were each fined £5 and costs for speeding. • Dangerous Driving—Charles Edward Blacklock was fined £5 and costs for dangerous driving and had his license cancelled. On the same charge Roland Fendal and Robert Gray were each fined £2 and costs. Cycling Without Light—George Arthur Kirner was fined 15s and costs for cycling at night without a light, and on a further charge of cycling 1 in a furious manner he was fined 30s and costs. Cycling on Footpath—Frederick ( Campbell was fined 15s and costs for cycling on the footpath. Unlicensed Driving—Thomas Whyte 1 was fined 10s and costs and James Gribbin 5s and costs for driving without licenses. Motor-Cycle Without Lights—Clarence Spedding, on a charge of driving a motor-cycle at night without lights, was fined £1 and costs. BOOKMAKER FINED £SO (PUSS ASSOCIATION TZLKGKAM.) OAMARU, February 7. William Ernest Woodham, who had previously been convicted of keeping a gaming house, was convicted and fined £SO by Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court at Oamaru this morning. The police described Woodham as in a big way. Cyril Rayburn Chilcott was convicted of a similar offence. He was , described by the police as a bookmaker's agent and was fined 40s. William John Hunter, who was convicted of being on Woodham's premises, was fined 40s. . James Henry Vallis was admitted to 1 probation for two years lor stealing ] goods valued at £3O, belonging to Walter Sumpter, which consisted of ] the whole of the household furniture ( from an occasional crib at Reidston. 1 1 ( Stop that coughing! Treat it scien- i tifically with "NAZOL" and get in- i stant relief. Acts at the points of in- t | fection. 60 doses for Is 6d. 120 doses 1 for 2s 6d. -